Nerve Regeneration with a Scaffold Incorporating an Absorbable Zinc-2% Iron Alloy Filament to Improve Axonal Guidance
Peripheral nerve damage that results in lost segments requires surgery, but currently available hollow scaffolds have limitations that could be overcome by adding internal guidance support. A novel solution is to use filaments of absorbable metals to supply physical support and guidance for nerve re...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Pharmaceutics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/15/11/2595 |
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| author | Tomer Ron Avi Leon Alon Kafri Ahmed Ashraf John Na Ashvin Babu Runima Banerjee Hunter Brookbank Saimahesh Raju Muddaluri Kevin J. Little Eli Aghion Sarah Pixley |
| author_facet | Tomer Ron Avi Leon Alon Kafri Ahmed Ashraf John Na Ashvin Babu Runima Banerjee Hunter Brookbank Saimahesh Raju Muddaluri Kevin J. Little Eli Aghion Sarah Pixley |
| author_sort | Tomer Ron |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Peripheral nerve damage that results in lost segments requires surgery, but currently available hollow scaffolds have limitations that could be overcome by adding internal guidance support. A novel solution is to use filaments of absorbable metals to supply physical support and guidance for nerve regeneration that then safely disappear from the body. Previously, we showed that thin filaments of magnesium metal (Mg) would support nerve regeneration. Here, we tested another absorbable metal, zinc (Zn), using a proprietary zinc alloy with 2% iron (Zn-2%Fe) that was designed to overcome the limitations of both Mg and pure Zn metal. Non-critical-sized gaps in adult rat sciatic nerves were repaired with silicone conduits plus single filaments of Zn-2%Fe, Mg, or no metal, with autografts as controls. After seventeen weeks, all groups showed equal recovery of function and axonal density at the distal end of the conduit. The Zn alloy group showed some improvements in early rat health and recovery of function. The alloy had a greater local accumulation of degradation products and inflammatory cells than Mg; however, both metals had an equally thin capsule (no difference in tissue irritation) and no toxicity or inflammation in neighboring nerve tissues. Therefore, Zn-2%Fe, like Mg, is biocompatible and has great potential for use in nervous tissue regeneration and repair. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:31:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-48c659a916dc48d5930ff9dd9e6705fd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4923 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:31:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pharmaceutics |
| spelling | doaj.art-48c659a916dc48d5930ff9dd9e6705fd2023-11-24T15:01:03ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232023-11-011511259510.3390/pharmaceutics15112595Nerve Regeneration with a Scaffold Incorporating an Absorbable Zinc-2% Iron Alloy Filament to Improve Axonal GuidanceTomer Ron0Avi Leon1Alon Kafri2Ahmed Ashraf3John Na4Ashvin Babu5Runima Banerjee6Hunter Brookbank7Saimahesh Raju Muddaluri8Kevin J. Little9Eli Aghion10Sarah Pixley11Department of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, IsraelCollege of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USACollege of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USASchool of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USACollege of Engineering & Applied Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USACollege of Arts & Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USACollege of Arts & Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USADepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USADepartment of Materials Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 8410501, IsraelDepartment of Pharmacology & Systems Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USAPeripheral nerve damage that results in lost segments requires surgery, but currently available hollow scaffolds have limitations that could be overcome by adding internal guidance support. A novel solution is to use filaments of absorbable metals to supply physical support and guidance for nerve regeneration that then safely disappear from the body. Previously, we showed that thin filaments of magnesium metal (Mg) would support nerve regeneration. Here, we tested another absorbable metal, zinc (Zn), using a proprietary zinc alloy with 2% iron (Zn-2%Fe) that was designed to overcome the limitations of both Mg and pure Zn metal. Non-critical-sized gaps in adult rat sciatic nerves were repaired with silicone conduits plus single filaments of Zn-2%Fe, Mg, or no metal, with autografts as controls. After seventeen weeks, all groups showed equal recovery of function and axonal density at the distal end of the conduit. The Zn alloy group showed some improvements in early rat health and recovery of function. The alloy had a greater local accumulation of degradation products and inflammatory cells than Mg; however, both metals had an equally thin capsule (no difference in tissue irritation) and no toxicity or inflammation in neighboring nerve tissues. Therefore, Zn-2%Fe, like Mg, is biocompatible and has great potential for use in nervous tissue regeneration and repair.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/15/11/2595nerve regenerationabsorbable metalmetallic implantzincmagnesiumiron |
| spellingShingle | Tomer Ron Avi Leon Alon Kafri Ahmed Ashraf John Na Ashvin Babu Runima Banerjee Hunter Brookbank Saimahesh Raju Muddaluri Kevin J. Little Eli Aghion Sarah Pixley Nerve Regeneration with a Scaffold Incorporating an Absorbable Zinc-2% Iron Alloy Filament to Improve Axonal Guidance Pharmaceutics nerve regeneration absorbable metal metallic implant zinc magnesium iron |
| title | Nerve Regeneration with a Scaffold Incorporating an Absorbable Zinc-2% Iron Alloy Filament to Improve Axonal Guidance |
| title_full | Nerve Regeneration with a Scaffold Incorporating an Absorbable Zinc-2% Iron Alloy Filament to Improve Axonal Guidance |
| title_fullStr | Nerve Regeneration with a Scaffold Incorporating an Absorbable Zinc-2% Iron Alloy Filament to Improve Axonal Guidance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nerve Regeneration with a Scaffold Incorporating an Absorbable Zinc-2% Iron Alloy Filament to Improve Axonal Guidance |
| title_short | Nerve Regeneration with a Scaffold Incorporating an Absorbable Zinc-2% Iron Alloy Filament to Improve Axonal Guidance |
| title_sort | nerve regeneration with a scaffold incorporating an absorbable zinc 2 iron alloy filament to improve axonal guidance |
| topic | nerve regeneration absorbable metal metallic implant zinc magnesium iron |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/15/11/2595 |
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